Guidable flying bodies



Nov. 17, 1964 P. NAuscHUTz ETAI. 3,157,372

: l HHH GUIDABLE FLYING BODIES Filed Deo. 15, 1959 frm/ym suf/ww? United States Patent C) 3,l7,372 GUIDABLE FLYING BDEES Peter Nauschiitz, Munich, Erich Planitzer, Nurtingen,

and Werner Schindler, tlttobrunn, near Munich, Germany, assignors to lioiirow-Entwielrlungen Kommanditgesellschaft, @treibt-nun, near Munich, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Dec. 1S, 1959, Ser. No. 859,8@ Claims priority, application Germany Dec. lo, 1958 6 Claims. (Cl. 244-14) In guidable flying bodies, such as rockets or guided missiles, `it is known to provide within the body itself cavities for the disposition of the current supply elements. As a result, the already limited space within this body is reduced still further. In addition, it is difcult to supervise the current supply elements because these elements are only accessible after disassembly of the ilying body. In a case of urgency, however, delays in readying such guidable flying bodiesY could become disastrous. Such delays will occur especially when old and ineffective batteries are to be exchanged.

One of the objects of the invention, therefore, is to arrange the current supply elements on the outside of a flying body and in such a manner that they can be readily exchanged.

A further object of the invention is to provide a battery housing or enclosure in which the batteries for the current supply of the flying body are enclosed in an air-tight manner. In accordance with another object of the invention, before the flying body is readied for operation, the battery housing will be slid upon a guiding rail provided on the outside of the iiying body. rhus, only a few seconds will be required to connect the battery housing with the iiying body.

Still another object of the invention is to insure that the batteries are not deteriorated or destroyed in their effectiveness by humidity.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully apparent from the drawing annexed herewith in which FIG. 1 represents in perspective a guidable flying body embodying certain features of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows, at an enlarged scale and also in perspective, a casing containing the illuminating set of a rocket and a guiding rail for attaching a battery housing to the rocket;

PEG. 3, also in perspective and at an enlarged scale, shows part of the inside of the battery housing illustrated; and

FIG. 4 shows, in elevation and in cross section, a front View of a housing containing the battery.

As apparent from FIG. l, a guidable dying body 1 is provided with a battery housing or enclosure 4 which is arranged between its stabilizing flaps 2 and 3 and detachably attached thereto.

Battery housing 4l, as apparent from FIG. 3, consists of a preferably rectangular center portion 5 made of plastic and of two relatively short cover parts 6 and '7 connected to center portion 5 along welds 8, 9 in an air and humidity-tight manner. In the front wall of cover part 7 there are arranged a pair of electrical sockets lil. The side walls of battery housing d are somewhat higher than. the batteries themselves, forming extensions 1l and IZ which, together with the surface of battery housing 4, form a channel 26 of lU-shaped'cross section. The ends of extensions ll and l2 protrude from housing 4 at 13 and ld, and serve as supporting elements.

Cover part 6 is provided with a slot l5 and covered by a cap 16 which is streamlined in the direction of arrow F.

"ice

Flying body l has in an otherwise well-known manner (by welding, bolting, etc.) attached at its near end a casing i7 containing usually a tracer illumination set. rl'he fron-t surface of casing 17 facing the tip of flying body ll carries a tightening ring 13 and an electrical plug 19. The bottom of casing 17 has recesses 20 and 21 fitting into projections 13, 14 of cover part 7. At the same time, projecting from casing 17 is a guiding rail 22 of U-shaped cross section and preferably also attached to body l in any known manner (by welding, bolting, etc.). Guiding rail 22 extends towards the tip of flying body l and its dimensions correspond to those of channel 26. The front end of guiding rail 22 has a latch 23 designed to tit into slot 15 of cover part 6. As apparent from FIG. 4, sockets l@ are closed in an air and humidity-tight manner by means 'of a piece of foil 24 which is glued to the other front surface of cover part 7. As apparent from FIG. 3, center portion 5 of battery housing or enclosure 4 contains batteries 25 having minus and plus poles, respectively, connected to sockets lil. After mounting of batteries 25, cover parts 6 and 7 are welded to portion 5 to form an absolutely tight closure.

When the flying body is to be readied for operation, battery housing 4 is slid onto guiding rail .22 until supporting prongs 13 and 14 engage and lit into the recesses Ztl and 2l of casing 17, and latch Z3 falls into slot 15. In this way the battery housing is held by the guiding rail and cannot any more detach itself therefrom. lf required, however, for example, because the flying body need not be ready any more or because the battery housing is to be exchanged, battery housing 4 can be removed from guiding rail 22; this can be eected by means of a forceful movement or jerk in the direction of arrow F whereby latch 23 will again be taken out from slot 15.

During the sliding of the battery housing 4 onto the guiding rail 22, the foil piece 24 will be perforated by plug 19 entering the socket l@ and providing electrical connection between batteries 25 and the current supply elements of the flying body, for example, the supply elements, or the control organs for triggering the spark, etc.

We claim:

l. In combination, an oblong guidable flying body having attached thereon at its 'outside a projection substantiaily perpendicular to said body, mechanical guiding means and first electrical connecting means extending from said projection in a direction parallel to said body, and an elongated battery enclosure having at one end second electrical connecting means, and along its outer surface an elongated recess slidably tting over said guiding means in said parallel direction so as to permit said enclosure to be slid on said guiding means thereby electrically connecting said iirst and said second electrical connecting means.

2. Combination according to claim 1, wherein said dying body consists of a cigar shaped center portion having four wings extending therefrom diametrically perpendicular to each other, said projection being arranged on the top of said center portion between adjacent wings, and wherein said mechanical guiding means and said first electrical connecting means extend from said projection in the ilight direction of said body.

3. Combination according to claim 1, further cornprising means operative when said enclosure arrives at its end position to lock said guiding means in said recess in said end position in such a way as to prevent said enclosure from removing itself from said guiding means.

4. Combination according to claim l, wherein said guiding means consist of a U-shaped guiding rail and wherein said enclosure has a U-shaped recess slidingly fitting over said guiding rail, and wherein said guiding rail at its front end is provided with a latch and said U-shaped recess is provided at its end with a slot to receive said latch to lock said enclosure to said body after it has been slid onto said guiding lrail and after the electrical connections have been made.

5. Combination according to claim 1, wherein said second electrical connecting means are of the female type and have attached thereon a foil which is perforated by said first electrical connecting means under control of the sliding movement when said enclosure arrives at a certain position.

6. Combination according to claim 1, wherein said enclosure consists of an elongated center part 'of a substantially rectangular cross section and of two end parts 'which are attached to said center part, one of which carries the electric connection and the other part being formed in a streamlined manner.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION, AN OBLONG GUIDABLE FLYING BODY HAVING ATTACHED THEREON AT ITS OUTSIDE A PROJECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BODY, MECHANICAL GUIDING MEANS AND FIRST ELECTRICAL CONNECTING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID PROJECTION IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID BODY AND AN ELONGATED BATTERY ENCLOSURE HAVING AT ONE END SECOND ELECTRICAL CONNECTING MEANS, AND ALONG ITS OUTER SURFACE AN ELONGATED RECESS SLIDABLY FITTING OVER SAID GUIDING MEANS IN SAID PARALLEL DIRECTION SO AS TO PERMIT SAID ENCLOSURE TO BE SLID ON SAID GUIDING MEANS THEREBY ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND ELECTRICAL CONNECTING MEANS. 